Malone, 57, was appointed chief justice earlier this month by Gov. Robert Bentley. He was a Circuit Court judge from 2000 until he became chief of staff for Bentley in January. Malone said his top priority will be addressing the finances of a judicial system hobbled by state budget cuts.

"Many of the challenges we face in the judicial system can be resolved with a fiscally conservative budgetary approach," he said in a statement. "We can cut unnecessary expenses and budget conservatively without sacrificing justice."